Francis h



(No Model v E. H. RICHARDS-,

PIGKER FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES. No. 340,249. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

qfiiiwaooao swve/wbozz 54 fmwf 'NITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE PRATT 8t WHITNEY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONN.

PICKER FOR ENVELOPE-MACHINES.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,249, dated April 20, 1886. Application filed January 21, 1886. Serial No. 189,295. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Picker or Gummer for Envelope-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in wbich--.

Figure l is an elevation of a picker embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under side of the same. Fig. 3 is asection in line a a, Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through- 1 out all the views.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the so-called pickers or gummers which are used in envelopemachines for taking up the uppermost blank from apile of blanks by means of an adhesive substance previously applied to the under surface of said picker or gummer.

In United States Patent No. 221,835, J represents a gummer and picker of an ordinary 2 construction arranged for gum ming and picking up blanks. In United States Patent- No.

288,673, 6 represents a similar one arranged to be used for gummiug only. My improved picker or gummer is adapted to be used in either of those ways, as may be desired.

The object of my invention is to secure the proper contact of the whole lower surface of the picker with the blank by an improved construction of the picker itself, whereby the lower surface thereof will not only conform in its general position to the blank, but will also conform, owirig to its flexibility, to all undulations of said blank, while offering sut'tigient resistance to insure a proper pressure on the 40 blank to be picked up; This object I accomplish by means ofthe improvements in the construction of said picker, which are hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, S is the usual vertical shaft, to the bottom of which the picker is suitably fixed.

F is a picker-frame, adapted to receive and hold a flexible picker-body.

P is the body of the picker, which is made of flexible material.

The picker-body may be made of any suitably-elastic material-such as rubber or the like-either with or Without a fibrous or other admixture.

It is desirable to prevent the working-face Mfrom having any material amount of lateral extensibility, which can be done by embedding therein a web of canvas or woven wire, 0, as described and claimed in my United States Patent No. 331,444, dated De- 6o cember 1, 1885.

The body P may be attached to the rigid frame F by simply cement-ing them together at line Z, Fig. 3; but I prefer to unite them by means of flanges 3, of a beveled or other suitable shape, fitting within a rim, 4, formed on said frame.

In order to obtain a proper action of the picker in all respects. I form the body P of a gradually-inor-easing degree of rigidity from face M up toward the frame F. This variation may be gradual, as indicated by the shading at 6, Fig. 3,.or it may take place at regular intervals, the body then consisting of several layersas, for instance, at 8, Fig. 1-of which each layer is less elastic than that below it. This construction of the body Pgives a soft and elastic face at M, a much more rigid back against the frame, and a sutficientlyyielding mass as a'whole, and this with less 5 lateral distortion from striking the blanks than would otherwise be the case.

This improved picker is readily manufactured by mechanics skilled in the art of making articles of vulcanized rubber. This ma- 5 terial being placed in the mold in layers, of which each layer is suitably mixed for forming its particular portion of the body P, the whole is vulcanized at once, thereby producing the variation of rigidity required. This method I do not claim herein, reserving it to form the subject-matter of a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The improved picker or gummer herein described, it consisting in a body formed of rubber or the like elastic material, and having an increasing degree of rigidity from the face upward, substantially as described.

FRANCIS-H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

H. F. L. OROUTT, GEO. W. DRAKE. 

